Sözen: “A Meaningful Process in Cyprus Unlikely Without Regional Shifts”

Speaking on the Gündem programme on Kıbrıs Postası TV, hosted by Prof. Dr. Ulaş Barış, Sözen said that neither the Turkish Cypriot nor the Greek Cypriot leadership shows any real willingness to embrace a federal solution based on power-sharing. “Looking at the records of both leaders, it is clear they are not inclined towards such a settlement,” he said.

Sözen stressed that any progress toward a viable solution would likely depend on broader regional shifts rather than internal developments on the island. He pointed to a reconfiguration of European security and said that, historically, resolving the Cyprus issue was considered a prerequisite for good Turkish-Greek relations.

“Today, both Athens and Ankara have effectively parked the Cyprus issue to the side and are focusing on their bilateral ties,” Sözen noted. “They no longer want Cyprus to poison their relations.”

He added that broader regional cooperation frameworks could create momentum for progress on the Cyprus issue. “A multilateral dialogue platform in the Eastern Mediterranean that includes all regional actors could trigger a meaningful process on the island,” he said, underlining the need for converging regional dynamics.

Referring to signs of rapprochement between Syria and Israel, Sözen mentioned that discussions were underway about Syria possibly joining the Abraham Accords, a U.S.-brokered regional normalization initiative.

Touching on the six items agreed by the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders as subjects for dialogue, Sözen highlighted that while environment, cemeteries, and climate were included, energy was notably absent. “This is unfortunate, as energy offers a unique opportunity for cooperation,” he said, adding that the Greek Cypriot side has refused to include energy in the talks, viewing it strictly as a matter of sovereignty.